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The latest smart home report from GFK is full of interesting data, most notably that the lack of uniformity is keeping customers from making the lifestyle upgrade. Smart technologies purchased from major retail outlets don’t work well together. Getting DIY systems to work seamlessly takes a level of expertise most people don’t have the time or inclination to develop. Professionally installed systems provide seamless integration that consumer technologies may never catch up to.

“For consumers today, Smart Home is a reality – not just tech industry or marketing jargon,” said Tom Neri, Commercial Director for Tech & Durables at GfK. “Smart Home devices and services are becoming part of people’s everyday lives, and the advantages of having these devices synchronize and work together are very real – in particular for home entertainment and home security systems. But while we found solid uptake and high expectations among Millennial ages, those often termed Gen Z seem less impressed or engaged – a potential challenge for the tech industry, but also understandable for an age segment not yet in its first ‘home life’ stage.”

One potential Smart Home roadblock that GfK identified is cross-device communication. Almost seven in ten (68%) Millennials expect devices from different vendors to “talk” to each other – a level of compatibility the industry is still working to achieve in many cases.

“If Smart Home devices can continue to make strides in better cross brand and cross product connectivity,” Neri said, “the standardized communication and ‘teamwork,’ stand to provide all manufacturers and service providers an upside potential – and younger consumers will likely get on board.”